Computer tomograph

ABSTRACT

A computer Tomograph having a housing with an aperture (2) for the patient in which computer-controlled scanning devices are arranged to generate computer tomograms, and into which a motor-driven, and also computer-controlled, patient&#39;s couch can be inserted from the front of the housing (1). The patient&#39;s couch also acts as an operating table, such that as little information as possible is lost in the treatment of the patient between diagnosis and the action on, or treatment of, the patient. The action or treatment can thereby be as close as possible to the diagnosis both in time and place. At the front of the housing (1), there is a plurality of information displays connected to the computer, especially in the form of display screens. In front of the housing (1) there is an operation and treatment area for the patient, to which further diagnostic and/or operative and/or therapeutic auxiliaries are allocated.

The invention relates to a computer tomograph consisting of a housingwith an aperture for receiving the patient, in which housingcomputer-controlled scanning units are arranged for generating computertomograms, and into which a motor-driven and also computer-controlledpatient's couch can be driven from the front side of the housing.

The computer tomographs commonly used according to the state of the artare exclusively used for diagnostic purposes. They generate sectionalpictures through the body of the patient arranged in various planes ofsection. The customary scanning units of computer tomographs operatewith X-rays or on the basis of a measurement and evaluation of themagnetic core spin resonance in the body tissue of the patient to beexamined. A particularity of the computer tomographs consists in thatthe tomograms cannot be produced immediately but only with some timedelay because the arithmetic algorithm for the evaluation of the valuesmeasured in the scan requires very extensive arithmetic operations.However, such time delay now comes to only a few seconds due to the highefficiency of modern data processing equipment.

It is disadvantageous in connection with the conventional use ofcomputer tomographs that the diagnosis, on the one hand, and thesurgical intervention or purposeful treatment of the patient, on theother hand, are separated from each other in terms of place and time, sothat there is the risk that between the making of the diagnosis and theintervention on the patient, information is lost. The knowledge of suchinformation, however, is a precondition for the success of theintervention or treatment. Special problems are caused on account of thefact that on the operating table on which the actual operation isperformed, the patient assumes in most cases a completely different bodyposition than during the diagnosis in the computer tomograph, whichmakes it difficult to exactly localize the organs and body parts to betreated during the planning of the operation and during the subsequentoperation.

Therefore, the problem of the invention is to further develop thecomputer tomograph of the type specified above in that as littleinformation as possible is lost between the diagnosis and theintervention, and that the intervention or the treatment of the patientis as close as possible to the diagnosis in terms of place and time inorder to permit a superior and more exact planning or execution of theoperation or treatment.

For solving said problem, the invention proposes on the basis of thecomputer tomograph of the type specified above that the patient's couchis at the same time designed as an operating table; that severalinformation displays connected with the computer, particularly in theform of display screens, are arranged on the front side of the housing;and that an operation and treatment area for the patient is arranged infront of the front side of the housing, with additional diagnosticand/or operative and/or therapeutic auxiliaries being associated withsaid area.

The computer tomograph according to the invention makes it possible tooperate on or treat the patient in some other way directly in front ofthe computer tomograph, i.e., directly after the diagnosis with the helpof computer tomograms and without having to transfer the patient to aseparate operating table. Also, special operative and/or therapeuticauxiliaries can be used for the intervention or treatment, such as, forexample, a surgical laser knife, a lithotripter, or devices for theradiation therapy etc. In this connection, current information from thediagnosis just made is available in each case to the treating physicianon the display screens on the front side of the housing of the computertomograph. Furthermore, additional patient data can be blended in on theinformation displays, or additional pictures can be displayed there thatare helpful to the physician during the treatment or intervention.

Usefully, an X-ray tube is arranged on the front side of the housingabove the patient's couch, and an X-ray oicture amplifier is arrangedabove the patient's couch for producing an x-ray picture of the patientlying on the couch, said picture being reproducible on a display screenof the information displays. Said additional X-ray picture display makesit possible to supply the treating physician before the intervention orbefore the treatment once again with a current X-ray photograph of thepatient lying on the patient's couch, namely with an X-ray pictureextending in a different plane than the previously generated computertomograms.

Furthermore, the X-ray tube, on the one hand, and the X-ray pictureamplifier, on the other hand, are secured with adjustability on allsides on the front side of the housing of the computer tomograph. Thismakes it possible to produce X-ray pictures of all possible details andin all conceivable planes.

Moreover, a position indicator is arranged on the front side of thehousing on an arm that is movable on all sides and computer-controlled,and which generates at least one beam of light directed at the site ofintervention or treatment on the body of the patient. Said positionindicator is controlled by the central computer of the overall plantand, for its control, can use information from the computer tomograms orthe other patient data stored in the computer.

Usefully, the position indicator generates several beams of light, whichextend crossing each other or at an angle relative to each other andindicate to the surgeon the site of intervention and, for example, thedirection of the intervention.

Usefully, the light beam is a laser beam that can be used also fortreating the surface of the body (laser therapy), if need be.

According to an advantageous further development, provision is made thatan ultrasound display screen is associated with the operation andtreatment area, of which the pictures can be displayed on a displayscreen of the information displays on the front side of the housing ofthe computer tomograph as well. Such an ultrasound display screen cansupply the treating physician with additional valuable information.

Also, an endoscope can be associated with the operation and treatmentarea, of which the endoscopic pictures can be represented on a displayscreen of the information displays as well. In this way too, additionalvaluable information is offered to the physician for his intervention.

The movements of the patient's couch are usefully voice-controlled. Itis possible in this way to carry out the required displacements ormovements of the patient's couch without touching any switches or thelike.

Special advantages are achieved if additional important functions of thecomputer tomograph and the diagnostic and/or operative and/ortherapeutic auxiliaries are voice-controlled. In this way, basically thesame advantages as with the voice control of the patient's couch areobtained.

Alternatively, certain functions of the computer tomograph and of thediagnostic and/or operative and/or therapeutic auxiliaries can also becontrolled by body movements. This type of control of the functionssaves in the individual case the actuation of switches or the like.

So that the computer tomograph can be reset for different operations ortreatments, if need be, all diagnostic and/or operative and/ortherapeutic auxiliaries associated with the computer tomograph areusefully structured modular.

An exemplified embodiment of the invention is shown in greater detail inthe following on the basis of the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schmetaic lateral view of the tomograph according to theinvention; and

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the computer tomograph.

In the drawing, the housing of the computer tomograph is denoted by thereference numeral 1. The housing has an aperture 2 with a round crosssection for receiving the patient, into which a patient's couch 3 can beinserted. In the drawing, the patient is denoted by the referencenumeral 4. The patient's couch 3 with the patient 4 lying thereon can bedriven computer-controlled into the patient-receiving aperture 2 bymeans of a motor drive not shown in detail, and driven out through saidaperture 2 as indicated by the double arrow 5. All functions of thecomputer tomograph are controlled by a computer not shown in thedrawing. To this extent, the computer tomograph shown in the drawingcorresponds with the state of the art.

According to the invention, the patient's couch 3 is at the samedesigned as an operating table and, therefore, has the devices commonlyused with operating tables for fixing the patient in a certain position.Furthermore, according to the invention, an operation and treatment area4 is located in front of the patient-receiving aperture 2 of thehousing 1. Operative and/or therapeutic auxiliaries are associated withsaid operation and treatment area; said auxiliaries are shown in thedrawing in a highly simplified way and in summary denoted by thereference numeral 6.

Within the zone of the operation and treatment area, i.e., on the frontside of the housing 1, an X-ray tube 7 and an X-ray picture amplifier 8for producing an X-ray picture of the patient 4 lying on the patient'scouch 3 are arranged as additional diagnostic auxiliaries. The X-raytube 7 is designed adjustable on all sides and displaceable along asemi-circle around the aperture 3 for receiving the patient. The X-raypicture amplifier 8, too, is adjustalbe on all sides, so that differentX-ray pictures of the patient 4 can be produced in cooperation with theX-ray tube 7.

Furthermore, several information displays in the form of the displayscreens 9 are arranged on the front side of the housing 1, on which thecomputer tomograms of the computer tomograph, the X-ray picture and, ifneed be, additional patient data important to the treating physician canbe represented.

Furthermore, an arm 10 of a position indicator 11, said arm beingmovable on all sides and computer-controlled, is arranged on the frontside of the housing 1 above the operation and treatment area. Saidposition indicator 11 generates one or several light beams aimed at theintervention or treatment site on the patient 4. Said light beams extentcrossing each other or at an angle relative to each other and indicateto the surgeon the intervention site and, if necessary, the direction ofintervention on the body of the patient 4. If need be, the light beamscan be laser beams that are applicable to intervention and/or therapypurposes. Furthermore, an ultrasound display device 12 can be associatedwith the operation and treatment area, of which the pictures can bedisplayed on a display screen 9 of the information displays.

All components of the system specified above are structured modular, sothat the operation and treatment area can be set up in a simple way forall types of operations and treatment.

Furthermore, all aforementioned devices are connected to the centralcomputer of the computer tomograph. Said computer can control allmovements and call up the various information functions. Said computer,which is not shown in detail in the drawing, can be controlled in theconventional way by the customary keyboards, but for controlling certainfunctions it can also be designed for voice control or control by bodymovements. The voice control is particularly advantageous for movementsof the patient's couch 3 serving at the same time as the operatingtable, because such voice control permits the operating physician tofully concentrate on the operation and to effect any required movementsof the patient's couch by voice commands.

We claim:
 1. A computer tomograph apparatus including a housing having afront side with a patient receiving opening in which computer-controlledscanning devices for generating computer tomograms are arranged, andhaving a motor-driven, computer-controlled patient gurney designed as anoperating table slidably disposed therein, the patient gurney beingdriven from the front side of the housing, whereby an operating andtreatment station for the patient is arranged in front of the front sideof the housing, the station having additional diagnostic and/orintervention aids, the front side of the housing comprising:a pluralityof information displays coupled to a computer, said displays being inthe form of display screens; an X-ray tube disposed above the patientgurney, and an X-ray picture amplifier disposed below the patient gurneyfor generating an X-ray photograph of the patient for display on one ofsaid plurality of display screens; and a computer controlled arm havinga position indicator arranged thereon, said arm being movable on allsides, said position indicator generating at least one light beam aimedat the site of intervention or treatment on the patient's body, theposition indicator being controlled depending on information from thecomputer tomograms or other patient data stored in the computer.
 2. Thecomputer tomograph apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the X-raytube (7) and the X-ray picture amplifier (8) are computer-controlled andare adjustable on all sides.
 3. The computer tomograph apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the light beam of the position indicatoris a laser beam.
 4. The computer tomograph apparatus according to claim1, wherein said position indicator (11) generates a plurality of lightbeams extending intersecting each other or at an angle relative to eachother.
 5. The computer tomograph apparatus according to claim 1, furthercomprising an ultrasound sight unit associated with the operation andtreatment station, the ultrasound sight unit generating pictures beingdisplayable on a display screen (9) of the information displays.
 6. Thecomputer tomograph apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising anendoscope associated with the operation and treatment station, theendoscope generating pictures being displayable on a display screen (9)of the information displays.
 7. The computer tomograph apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the movements of the patient gurney (3)are voice-controlled.
 8. The computer tomograph apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein at least one function of the computer tomograph and ofthe diagnostic and/or intervention and/or therapy aids arevoice-controlled.
 9. The computer tomograph apparatus according to claim1, wherein at least one function of the computer tomograph and/or of theintervention and/or therapy aids are controlled by body movements. 10.The computer tomograph apparatus according to claim 1, wherein thesystem comprises a modular construction of all assemblies of thediagnostic and/or intervention and/or therapy aids.